The director-general of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) has expressed the willingness of the agency to partner with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to change negative perception about Nigeria at home abroad.
According to the DG, the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is among other things focused on creating the right narratives and messages about Nigeria and VON under his leadership will be at the forefront of actualizing it.
Ndace who stated Monday when he received the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the NIPR Dr. Ike Neliaku who paid him a courtesy call in Abuja, said since his appointment he focused on strengthening collaboration with partners both at home and abroad in order to correct negative perception about Nigeria.
He said: “For me one of the challenges that we face as a country is the issue of perception especially outside the country.
“Many of us travel out of the country on our own and the way you are treated because you carry the green passport is unbecoming, just because of insignificant number of people who may have done one thing or the other which is not interdem with the laws of the land.
” Where as we have millions of Nigerians doing their best all over the world. There is no part of the world you go that you will not see Nigerians that are doing exploits in their chosen careers.”
He was he would work with reputable institutions like NIPR to build positive narratives about Nigeria at home and abroad.
“So I am determined as the director general of VON to tell the Nigerian story in a truthful, consistent , unapologetic, believably and with no qualms at all. We are not going to tell people lie but we will paint Nigeria in bad light.
“Working with NIPR, I am going to be consistent in telling Nigerian story, building positive narrative about our people wherever they are. And we not going to do it shying away as if Nigeria is the worst country in the world. Nigeria is not the best country in the world but at the same time it is also not the worst country in the world.
“Every country in the world including the most developed countries have their own challenges. We are not going to allow people to use our platform to spread misinformation, disinformation and fake news about our country. So VON is on the same page with NIPR as far as the reputation of Nigeria is concerned,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the NIPR President thanked VON for its consistent support to NIPR over the years, particularly during the citizens summit it organized in 2022.
He also sought for the collaboration of VON in its rebirth Nigeria project.
He disclosed that the project is hinged on four cardinal objectives; value reorientation, citizen education, promotion of made in Nigeria goods and excellent service delivery.
